How To Dispose of Coffee Grounds

Most of us know a basic answer to this question in that coffee grounds shouldn’t be thrown down the kitchen drain under any circumstances but are there any other rules we have to follow or, more than that, are there any innovative ways that we may use coffee grounds?

Compost and Fertiliser

Whether you’re an avid or novice gardener there coffee grounds are a great addition to your compost pile thanks to their prominent nitrogen content. This added nitrogen not only adds to the “green” quota for your compost but can also attract worms to your compost heap for faster breakdown of your compost into usibile fertiliser.

If you don’t have the patience for compost but want to use coffee grounds for something other than landfill you can mix them into the soil of any of your acid-loving plants such as roses or hydrangeas and many other classic garden flora.

Tip:

If you’re bored of your hydrangea colour add some coffee grounds to the soil to watch it change from blue from alkaline soil to pink in acidic soil.

Protect Your Plants From Pests

Coffee grounds are relatively high in acid so offer great protection against foliage destroying pests such as slugs. The abrasive texture is also quite unappealing to ants so you’ll find a large reduction in pests chewing away at your plants!

Absorb Odours From Your Fridge

Don’t be shy, many of our fridges have a slightly fragrant smell but fret not this can easily be remedied by putting a small container full of coffee grounds at the back of your fridge. This works much like baking soda to relieve your fridge of that mild to pungent aroma.

At-Home Facial

Coffee grounds aren’t just relegated to your kitchen and garden but can be used to exfoliate your face and body. The natural oils contained within the grounds will give you not only smooth but moisturised skin. You can leave the grounds as they are if you want to smell slightly caffeinated or add some essential oils of your choice to liven up your beauty routine.

Cellulite Treatment

Not only will coffee grounds exfoliate that dead skin but the caffeine remnants will actually do wonders for cellulite. One of the main components in creams that claim to rid you of your lumps and bumps is actually caffeine so save some waste some money and cut to the chase with your used coffee grounds.

Scalp Clarification

Do you ever notice that after months using the same shampoo your hair can get a little matted and flat? Well you need to use a clarification shampoo that's often found at health food stores, or even better, you can use your old coffee grounds! Grab a handful before washing your hair and scrub your scalp as you would when you wash your hair. Rinse and continue as normal with your hair routine for some light, freshly-clarified and glossy locks.

Conclusion

There are a whole range of uses for coffee grounds, from deodorizing your fridge all the way to giving you smooth and cellulite-free skin. So if you're looking to simply reduce your waste, give your garden plants a boost or freshen up your hairstyle then look no further than your used coffee grounds.